Savior
by ghostpoet
Summary: Stumbling upon secrets and secrets might have a bad effect on him and yet he does not mind. He embraces them instead and hopes now more than ever to achieve his dream.
1. Chapter I

The moon shone bright through windows in a room that was messy and dusty. Its rays of light illuminated a make-shift bed covered in dirty laundry, forgotten food and rusty equipment. Said bed shifted awkwardly, as if it would crack, but the occupant paid no mind.

Suddenly, one window opened leaving the cold air of the summer settle itself in the room. One gust of wind, different and seemingly sentient, made its way until it reached the bed. In less than a moment the wind caressed the figure that was sleeping inside the bed.

Blue eyes fluttered open for the tenth time since he arrived home. They gazed at the only windows in his room and sighed, it seems that he left them open.

Blinking, he glanced at the bathroom in the farthest corner of the room. As soon as he sat up, his head began to spin wild once again.

'_Not again..._'

Sighing, he made haste. Reaching the bathroom was a hard quest to finish but with sheer will he managed to turn the knob, twisting it. His lips formed into a frown seeing the mess in front of him.

After a few minutes, the headache dulled down as he stared into the dirty glass of a broken cabinet.

Tired eyes contemplated over empty and dusted shelves. He ran a hand over his bright, spiky yellow hair and allowed a groan to escape from his dry throat. Leaving the bathroom, he turned next to the make-shift kitchen, his sanctuary.

Chuckling, he brought his hands together shaping them in the form of the tiger seal. Moments later a loud puff resonated throughout the entire apartment followed by smoke.

As soon as the smoke dissipated it revealed a clone, identical to the original. Muttering curses under his breath, the clone walked by the sink and opened a cup of ramen. Satisfied with himself, he turned to glare at his clock beside his small bed. It read four in the morning.

Flashbacks flooded his mind, remembering what he had done. His sensei protected him from a death blow and he almost lost control of something he was not aware of. A demon, he thought.

It was the reason he was loathed by the population of his village. Given his predicament, he absolutely had no choice in that matter.

And yet, he could not blame anyone for it.

Sure, his parents had sacrificed themselves for the future of their village and most importantly, their only son. '_Future, huh…?_'

Deciding not to let his bitter thoughts overcome him, he straddled along the room, a chair pulled from under the old and dusty table. The clone already dispersed by the time his train of thoughts had emerged within his mind.

"Finally!" He gave his daily - more like nightly praise to his so-called ramen gods and dove into his full bowl of noodles.

'_Let's see… I had managed to graduate because I've retrieved the Scroll back, that after a few hours of copying a kinjutsu, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu' _his face formed into a sheepish smile, continuing '_and killed-_' The smile on his lips vanished. Freezing in his place, warm noodles quickly escaped from tightly held chopsticks in his cooling hand.

'_Mizuki._'

For some kind of reason, he did not feel sorry for that at all. In fact, he enjoyed it. Relished in his ex-sensei's terrified gaze.

He let out a sigh and stumbled out of his tiny kitchen, dropping head-first into his small and comfortable bed.

Focusing his thoughts again, he reflected on the next part of this night. ANBU operatives filled the scene in less than five seconds after feeling the malicious chakra, sweeping through his bones and off his skin. He let out a shiver, glaring at the ceiling.

Sandaime-jiji appeared moments later clad in his battle suit. His age did not reflect his condition, the boy thought. Then again, he supposed that the old man had been through three wars, the latter as a Hokage.

He let out a dry chuckle; an aged Hokage like him could run anyone into the ground with relative ease.

Just when he thought that he'd get some sleep, another memory surfaced.

It was of his parents, Hiruzen showed him pictures, journals and most importantly, their last wishes for him. He read every single thing that his parents left behind.

"_Naruto-kun, you have made quite the mess here." Hiruzen's face erupted into a smile, shocking the recently graduated genin in front of him. He just killed someone. He, the demon of this village, the source for everyone's burning hatred in the village, save for a few people including the person in front of him. Their hokage was a grandfather figure for the young boy._

"_B-but jiji, I killed him…"_

"_I know that, Naruto. Even so, you are not at fault for you protected Iruka and saved the village, stopping that traitor Mizuki from running away with our most sacred secrets. The Will of Fire burns strong in you, child. Never let it falter." Naruto beamed at his words, but the feeling didn't shake off. At least the talk with jiji eased me, he thought._

_His eyes set upon were he drove a kunai in Mizuki's throat. He could feel himself shaking, the comforting words from before fleeing his tormented mind. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes yet he pushed them back. He vowed that he will never cry again. _

_Hiruzen noticed Naruto's mood has taken a worse turn and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. Naruto leaned into his surrogate grandfather's touch and sighed, grateful that the old man was here._

"_Now Naruto-kun, we have to discuss something of utmost importance. Let's head back to my office, shall we?" Naruto nodded excitedly, leaving a slightly widened Hokage to wonder about his sudden mood change. 'Kushina, Minato… he truly is your son.'_

"_Hey, why are you chuckling?"_

"_Nothing, nothing." Hiruzen laughed._

_In a swirl of leaves, they were gone._

"Minato Namikaze, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō and Kushina Uzumaki, Akai Chishio no Habanero." He muttered to himself, sighing. From what he read and what Hiruzen had said about his parents… he was loved.

Tears threatened to fall but heed no mind for he did not care about his vow right now.

'_I was loved… they wanted me!_'

And so for several minutes he cried; tears of joy soaking the pillow that Naruto clutched tightly to his chest.

Eyes closed, he fell in a peaceful slumber.

When Naruto opened his eyes he had not expected to wake up in a sewer. Looking around, his enhanced hearing picked up a sound. '_Was it a snicker…?_'

He felt as if something pulled him towards the location of the sound. Walking, he noticed that the pathways were dimly lit, a brown color adorning the place.

Naruto huffed in frustration, clearly not happy as he continued to stroll along the way. He was about to open his mouth yet his voice died down in his throat, the air around him changing.

"What's this feeling… hatred?" Muttering to himself, the figure in front of him continued snicker.

"**So my jailor has finally decided to show himself here…**" While the voice was low, almost threatening, the tone in its voice screamed the fact that he was thoroughly amused with him.

"W-who are you…?"

"**Who am I?**" Stopping, it blew a breath, slightly throwing a dazed Naruto backwards.

"**I am your… nightmare.**" The figure continued to snicker, thinking that he scared the boy furthermore.

Naruto made no move, if anything he stepped forward to take a peek at said figure's appearance. His eyes widened, gasping. This- this creature was… Kyūbi no Yoko which is said that it was defeated by his father, the late Yondaime Hokage.

"**What is it, gaki? Your father couldn't defeat me.**"

At the mention of his father Naruto could feel himself no longer scared, remembering the words written in the letter. "That much I know too, Kyūbi! Where are we?"

If Kyūbi's expression was one of shocks, it didn't let it show. Blinking, his eyes rested on the child in front of him.

"**You sure have a lot of courage standing up to me, gaki. As for where we are… this is your mindscape, quite colorful for your age.**" The large figure stepped forward revealing a massive, nine-tailed fox, mouth open in a grin, his canine teeth glistening in the darkness.

Scratching the nape of his neck in embarrassment, Naruto let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah… about that, can we change it? You can't be too comfortable paw-deep in water."

Kyūbi's slit eyes widened, taken aback by his statement. He surely couldn't, couldn't he?

"**You can't care.**" Naruto only took a step further.

"Says who?" Blue eyes stared into red slit eyes.

"**I don't believe you, gaki.**"

"You don't have to."

'_**What?**_'

In a flicker of a light, the room changed and they were now sitting in a plain field, grass caressing their figures.

'_**This was not supposed to happen...**_'

Meanwhile, Naruto could only think of… '_Please don't eat me, please don't eat me…_' Breathing a sigh in relief as he saw the fox staring around, he fell onto his back letting the green ground hug him.

"So, do you like it? It took a lot out of me, dattebayo!" Kyūbi turned to look at him and he noticed that he was barely breathing yet the grin never left his face.

Before he could even form the thought to retaliate, Naruto beat him to it. "Look, if you're asking yourself why I don't hate you, I'll answer that in a second. Just let me catch my breath, okay?"

There stood the almighty Kyūbi no Yoko, a demon who is said to be an entity made of chakra and hate, jaw slacked and eye widened. It could only nod, Naruto already lifting himself up.

"Wow, I love this place, don't you?" The fox remained silent.

"So, if you are wondering why I don't hate you is because…" He took another deep breath in. "it was not your fault."

Kyūbi kept on replaying his words in his head for several seconds. Where did his carefree, happy-go-lucky attitude go?

"**What happened to your happy demeanor?**" Naruto wholeheartedly chuckled.

"C'mon, Kyūbi. You know I'm not that stupid!" Then again, the huge orange fox noticed that throughout the years. It was only a matter of time before Naruto would decide to sort out who he is; Konoha's future Hokage or a prankster with no future at all.

'_Maybe a bit of both._' Yes. That will do.

"So! So! How was it being locked in there?" Okay, maybe not. Kyūbi sighed. He will always be stupid.

Ignoring his question, it changed the subject. "**Gaki, how come you got rid of the seal?**"

"Oh, that? I don't know at all. But it certainly gives you more freedom, right?" It nodded, one part of him happy that he was no longer bound, the other side fuming as the child in front of him was able to tear down the seal in a go, without letting it escape at the same time.

"**I suppose you're right…**" But it didn't make up in its mind, how come Naruto did not hate it at all? He just found out several hours ago that it, the Kyūbi killed his parents on the day he was brought in this world. '**What a cursed day, as well…**' Before the fox could ask him, Naruto's voice interrupted it.

"Yes, it was not your fault." Can he read minds? Again, he beat it to the question. "No, I can't read minds. Your expression is telling me everything!" Stifling out a chuckle, he continued. "I believe that it is more to the story than what Jiji told me, is that true?"

"**Yes. And that is because he does not know half of it.**" Kyūbi snorted; the fox's pride and arrogance were not to be insulted.

"Well then, we still have some hours left before I got to go! Why not explain?"

"**Alright, this is going to take a while." **Seeing Naruto nod, it continued. "**On the day of your birth, the tenth of October, I have brought chaos upon your village, Konohagakure no Sato. Before I continue, I want you to know that it was not my doing. I was controlled by a man whose eyes were red, an Uchiha.**" That got him thinking. He wasn't sure if Sasuke was even born at that time and he knew for a fact that his Uchiha classmate has not awakened his sharingan yet. Naruto read about their kekkei genkkai, the fabled dōjutsu called Sharingan which literally means copy wheel eye.

"**The one who controlled me on that night is… Uchiha Madara.**"

"Uchiha Madara? But isn't he already dead for more than one century?" But could it be that the academy's lessons were not accurate, or they simply did not know about that?

"**Lie****, gaki. He **_**is**_** not dead. That cursed Uchiha has controlled me more than once and I know where his power stands."**

Naruto decided to stay silent and take mental notes. Kyūbi noticed this but kept on.

"**As I was saying, while I was destroying your village Madara fought with your father, Minato. Somehow, he was able to defeat that man and restored the contract. Madara, of course, left. The next thing I knew was your father doing hand signs for the Shiki Fūin. In my rage, I killed your parents. I'm actually sorry." **Naruto's azure eyes widened. "**I can't say that I was not happy to be finally free, smell fresh air and being able to run around though. Your parents were great people, Naruto. Don't forget that and even if they sealed me, I still respect them. Their determination on that fated day was… incredible."**

His whole stance changed as the fox kept on speaking. Making his mind up, Naruto voiced his thoughts.

"Yeah, I know it. How else were they gonna seal an overgrown, nine tailed fox inside a newborn child?"

It snorted, but Naruto dismissed the huge orange fox. "Anyway, thank you Kyūbi!"

Kyūbi said nothing as Naruto continued. "I know it's hard to believe but… I'm going to rid you of your hatred! Just you wait!"

Its red slit eyes widened in bewilderment, unnerving Kyūbi to the core. Naruto flashed him a sincere smile before leaving his mindscape.

'_**Tch...**_'

* * *

><p>When he opened his eyes, a tadpole entered his sight. Wait, tadpole?<p>

"EEEEH?"

Croak. Croak.

"Who sent you and more importantly… what are you doing in here?" No answer.

'_He's a tadpole, what'd I expect?_'

He sighed, knowing that trying to communicate with it will take them nowhere. Naruto left the tadpole near his pillow and was about to get up when his eyes spotted a scroll beside him.

"What's this…?" Muttering to himself, the tadpole rushed to the scroll's location, unsealing it in a hurry and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

After the smoke had dissipated, Naruto's eyes were donned on the black and orange jacket, black ANBU pants and a black hitai-ate. Chuckling to himself, he thought. _'Two headbands in a night… and there I was at the ramen stool with Iruka a day ago trying to borrow his hitai-ate._'

Taking a quick shower, he was saddened by the fact that his old orange jumpsuit had to go. Naruto put on a black t-shirt, slid the ANBU pants over his slim yet muscular legs and left the jacket unzipped.

Looking at his reflection in a mirror, he acknowledged the fact that the outfit was a bit outsized for him. Therefore, he rolled his sleeves up until they reached the midsection of his arms. Half satisfied with his choice, he began searching for some bandages. As soon as he found the ones he desired, white, he cinched his right arm in one set and wrapped another set around his right thigh.

The grin he wore on his face when he was done could shatter the mirror. '_I look great! Can't wait to see their faces._'

A look at his clock told him that if he didn't leave right now, he'd miss the genin team assignments.

Arriving outside the Academy building he noticed his rival, Uchiha Sasuke resting against the wall, being early as well.

They both spared a glance at each-other then turned around, faces scrunched up in irritation. Naruto and Sasuke hated each-other with a passion. Sasuke was the number one Rookie of Konoha while he, Naruto was the dead last of the class. Partly because the teachers adored the Uchiha heir while ignoring him, the demon child of Konoha.

What Sasuke wanted to know why was the dropout here? And more importantly, why did he have a hitai-ate wrapped around his forehead? Shaking himself out of his train of thoughts, he shrugged and walked inside the building.

Minutes later, the Academy court filled in with students, each entering one by one the large and old building.

Naruto made sure to enter last, his prankster side coming out. He wanted to see everyone's flabbergasted expressions when he'd enter the class.

The door opened with a click and Uzumaki Naruto emerged from behind, his trademark megawatt grin shining brighter than the sun itself. "Ohaio, minna!"

"What are you doing here, dead last?" It was Inuzuka Kiba's voice who voiced everyone's thoughts, except the dead last part for a small group of people.

"And what's up with the sudden change in your appearance?" Yamanaka Ino, the number one fan girl of Uchiha Sasuke.

"I graduated last night, dog breath!" Kiba shot him the middle finger, but Naruto turned to his fellow blonde, the grin never leaving his face. "What about it? I look cooler now, don't I?"

Ino had to admit he looked a lot hotter now, maybe on par with Sasuke, but she wouldn't voice her it out loud. "In your dreams, baka…"

Naruto shrugged and moved past them. He wasn't really fond of having fights in the mornings like he used to. That and he did not have any sleep last night.

Looking around, he saw the seat next to Uchiha free and sadly, that was the only one. After a quick debate inside his head on whether he should sit against teme or not, he spotted a rosette next to him.

'_Rosette…? Sakura…_' Sighing, he plopped himself in between Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Truth to be said, he does not know how to act around her. She doesn't seem to remember him at all so that's okay for him.

"Hey, Naruto…" He nodded towards her and stood quiet, trying to ignore her as much as he can.

But Sakura wasn't having any of that.

"Oi, when someone salutes you be respectful!" He inwardly rolled his eyes at her. She just knew he was not one for ethics. Turning around, Naruto muttered a quick "Sorry, Sakura-chan." and left to his own devices.

What he didn't notice was that the rosette's pale cheeks were a slight shade of pink. Sakura let out a sigh and unknown to her, she thought out loud regretting it the next moment her voice died in her mouth.

"Baka…"

In an instant, Sakura put a hand to her mouth praying to Kami that he did not hear her. Naruto's ears shot up and he shook his head.

'_Damn it…_'

Iruka barged in the classroom with a stack of paper. Everyone went quiet as they saw the crutch Iruka was holding onto and Naruto looked at Iruka, a sheepish smile adorning his whiskered face. Iruka smiled at him and walked up to the desk.

"Alright, class! First of all, I'd like to congratulate you all for passing the genin exam. Second of all, when I'll call your names you are to stand by until your jōnin sensei comes in to pick you up." Nodding, the students could barely hold in the excitement at the prospect of starting their shinobi careers.

Meanwhile, Naruto had a knack about who was he gonna be placed with. '_Jiji and his scattered paperwork…_'

Smiling to himself, he lowered his head on the desk hoping to catch up some sleep. '_If I am going to be placed on his team, I'm sure that I'd be able to catch a few hours of sleep._'

"Team Seven consists of Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Your jōnin sensei is Hatake Kakashi."

Naruto lifted his head up as he heard his blonde classmate Ino let out an ear-screeching yell. "WHY ARE THOSE TWO PLACED WITH SASUKE-KUN? IF ANYTHING, IT SHOULD BE ME!"

'_Oh Kami… make it stop, someone…_'

Sakura merely hid her face behind her bangs. She was placed with Naruto and Sasuke, the dead last and the Rookie of the Year. Even so, she knew that Naruto was not that bad and in fact, he hid his skills. The rosette knew for one that his stealth skills were off the chart. No academy student avoids and eventually escapes ANBU squads during daylight unscathed.

'_Except him…_'

Just when Naruto was about to bang his head on the desk out of pure frustration, his salvation came in the form of his longtime friend and cloud gazing partner, Nara Shikamaru. He displayed a high level of intelligence despite him being a lazy ass.

"Knock it off, Ino. I don't want to hear your voice this early in the morning."

"Don't tell me what to do, lazy ass!"

"Mendokusai…" Everyone except Sasuke laughed at their bickering until Iruka somehow expanded his head's size three times bigger, effectively shutting up everyone.

"Now that we got that out of the way, Team Eight is going to be composed of Inuzuka Kiba, Hyūga Hinata and Aburame Shino. Your jōnin instructor is Yūhi Kurenai and will pick you up shortly after the assignments are over."

'_A tracking squad._' Naruto and Sakura thought at the same time.

"Team Nine is still on the field."

"Team Ten's members are Aburame Chōji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. Your sensei-" Shikamaru resisted the urge to facepalm himself as the blonde on his and Chōji's team interrupted their teacher again.

"So the dead last and billboard brow are in the same team with Sasuke-kun and I got stuck with these two idiots! It's not fair…" She kept on whining, but Chōji decided to intervene.

"Hey Ino, we aren't that bad…" He drawled on as he kept munching on his chips. That did not ease Ino at all and she sank deeper in her chair, depression taking over her.

"Troublesome…" That was all it took for Ino to try and let another ear-piercing scream but Iruka quickly stopped her, signaling that someone was standing behind them.

"Team ten…?" A tall man with black spiky hair, brown eyes adorning the standard jōnin outfit and a white sash with kanji for Fire stood in front of the door.

"My name is Sarutobi Asuma, follow me." They obeyed and left the room.

'_So that's Jiji's son…_' Naruto spared a long glance at the man and Asuma stared back at him, winking. Both smiled and shook their heads, Naruto's dropping on the desk and Asuma leaving the classroom.

Moments later a fairly tall, light skinned, slender built and red-eyed kunoichi entered their classroom.

'_These red eyes…_' Sakura thought with a grimace. They perfectly suited the kunoichi where hers… were green and her hair was pink. She had to clench her eyes shut before any tear could fall from her eyes.

Naruto noticed this and closed his eyes. He was not fond of seeing anyone cry, especially Sakura. '_Not that I can do anything, anyway..._'

Biting his lower lip in frustration, he lowered his head down and stared off as he recognized the woman. She was Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress.

"Team Eight follow me."

Soon enough the only ones remaining in the class were Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke. Even Iruka left after a while and Naruto guessed right. It was_ that_ man who is going to be their jōnin sensei. From what he could remember, Naruto always spotted that silver gravity-defying spiked hair in the shadows whenever he was out at night. They probably were the ANBU squad that Sarutobi-jiji assigned for his protection.

Another hour had passed and Naruto was both happy and frustrated at the same time. Happy, because he rested and frustrated because he woke up half an hour ago, whereas their jōnin instructor was nowhere to be seen.

Naruto's frown changed into a grin, a plan already forming in his mind.

'_Oh man if he falls for this…_'

On cue, a clone popped in existence besides them, startling his new teammates. Sakura almost dropped her book on the floor and squeaked as the smoke dissipated.

"N-Naruto…?"

Said blond scratched the back of his head in confusion. Taking a better look at his female teammate, Naruto saw that she was looking at his clone instead of him.

"Ah… don't mind it."

"_It_? But dobe, I thought that you couldn't do a clone even if it meant saving your life." Of course Sasuke had to say something. Naruto rolled his eyes at him and nodded to his clone, it taking off.

"This is not an actual Bunshin, isn't it?"

"Nah, Sakura-chan. It's a Kage Bunshin." He glanced at his clone.

As Sakura was about to press on, their dark haired teammate beat her. "Is it better than the normal Bunshin?"

He snorted at him. "Of course, teme! Why would it be called a _Shadow Clone_ then?"

Sasuke merely glared at him before grunting in annoyance and resumed his brooding stance. "Whatever."

Naruto grinned to himself, his eyes still glued to his clone's work.

'_All according to the plan! Man they are useful…_'

Unknown to those three, a figure plopped on a tree near their class windows had been watching them for a while now. Buried deep in his book, he sensed a chakra spike and sparing a glance in their classroom, he wondered how the hell did that genin learn Kage Bunshin?

As he watched the clone setting an obvious trap for him to fall in, he decided to make his appearance. In a flicker, he materialized next to their classroom door.

'_He's here._' Wait, how did he sense that Inu was already there? _Must be the fox_, Naruto thought.

"Oi, what are you waiting for? Just enter already!" The figure entered the class, dodging the eraser that was about to fall on his gravity-defying spiky hair and with a quick punch to the guts, the clone trying to get off the chair next to the door dispersed, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Naruto frowned as he could feel the mental effects of the punch that Inu threw at his clone. Sakura sensing his discomfort turned around only to see his face twisting in pain before he reverted back to normal, like nothing has happened at all.

Studying about this kind of clone, she knew what has caused that sudden change in his expression. '_The clones can think for themselves and the original feels pain if they are destroyed in an unpleasant way._'

Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw the tall man whose hair style was similar to her new teammate, Naruto. His spiky silver hair stands out among the lifeless colors of their dusty yet clean class. The standard jōnin uniform he was wearing indicated that he was their jōnin instructor. The strangest thing this man wore was his headband across left eye, indicating a possible injury.

"My first impression of you guys is… I don't like you." Sasuke's respectively Sakura's jaws slacked, almost hitting the floor. Surprisingly enough, when they turned to Naruto he was just standing there, smirking.

'_There is something wrong with the dobe…_' Sasuke's eyes peered on him a bit longer before turning to their jōnin sensei.

"Naruto…" Sakura hissed, afraid of the consequences Naruto may face.

As if he did not care, Naruto left his seat and passed Kakashi. "Long time no see, Inu…"

His lone eye widened. How could Naruto know his ANBU codename? Then again, the blonde hid himself well so it was not a surprise that he knew his name.

"I suppose we should meet where Naruto's headed, on the rooftop. You have five minutes." Kakashi shunshined out of the room, leaving the two genin behind to stare in amazement at their blonde haired teammate.

"You sure took your time." Kakashi drawled on.

"Well, you see I got lost on the road of life." Everything clicked into the jōnin's mind. Naruto had sneaked up on him after he was relieved of ANBU duty. '_Sneaky…_'

"Hmm…" Nodding to the rest of their team each sat down, Sakura on his left, Sasuke one stair above them and Naruto on his right.

"Blondie, you first." Naruto snorted.

"Alright, so… my name is Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is…" he shrugged "My dislikes are…" a low whistle "and my dreams are to be Hokage, the best that ever existed and surpass _them_."

Kakashi sighed. This supposedly stupid blonde haired, good for nothing loudmouth beat him in a battle of wits. '_The academy is really, really stupid…_ _and what did he mean by_ _them_, _could it be that…?_'

"All you've told us is your dreams, Naruto…" Naruto opened one eye to look at Sakura and smirked, causing Sakura to blush in embarrassment and look away.

Their jōnin to-be faked a cough and motioned to Sakura.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes are reading…" she pauses "What I dislike is bullies and people who aren't what they appear to be" she looks at Naruto, only to find him staring back at her snorting "and my dreams are to become the best medical nin in the whole world and surpass Senju Tsunade-sama!"

Kakashi nodded, quite interested in this one kunoichi. '_No fan-girl shouts, screeches and yells; nothing?_ _Surpassing Tsunade-sama, huh? I can sense her chakra levels are low due to her being from a civilian family but her chakra control is perfect… and yet_ _her physique is not even academy-level… we'll have to work on that._'

With a smile, he looked at Sasuke.

"The name's Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. I don't have a dream, because I'm going to make it a reality. I want to restore my clan and kill a certain someone."

Naruto snickered to himself as Sakura shot Sasuke a worried glance. Kakashi watched his team with interest before noting.

'_An avenger, huh?_ _This team is a lot like the last one… let's hope it doesn't go downhill like it either._'

Clapping his hands in fake delight, he stated. "My name is Hatake Kakashi, I don't intend on telling you my neither likes nor dislikes. My dreams do not interest you. With that being said, meet me tomorrow morning at five A.M. in training ground three, don't be late and don't eat."

Before they could ask why, he puffed in a trail of smoke.

Naruto and Sakura sighed, save for Sasuke who was already making his way away from them. As he saw him leaving, Naruto shook his head. There is no need to try to help someone who doesn't want help.

Sakura's gaze longed on Naruto's back for a few seconds before turning heel, only to be interrupted by Naruto.

"Ne, Sakura-chan! Want to have some ramen with me?"

"W-we could… Sure!" Being hungry herself and knowing that no one was likely to be home sooner than next week, Sakura's stomach only pushed her to accept.

Their stroll towards Ichiraku's was quite uneventful, so to say. Some villagers have been glaring at him but luckily for him, Sakura did not seem to notice.

'_I really wonder why everyone is so cold with Naruto… He is kind hearted, his eyes are beautiful and he's lovely…'_ Sighing, she shook her head and took a seat beside Naruto.

"Hey, old man!"

"Oh, if it isn't Naruto!" Teuchi looked at the newcomers and noticed a pink haired girl standing next to his best customer, Naruto. "And… who you might be?"

"Uhm… Haruno Sakura, soon to-be Naruto's teammate!" Sakura said, blushing.

"And here I was thinking that you were his girlfriend… ah well, enjoy your food kids!"

It was Naruto's turn to heat up as Sakura's cheeks turned a new shade of red.

'_Girlfriend?_' One glance at each-other made them dive into their bowls, both trying to hide from one another out of embarrassment.

Finishing his bowl, Naruto contemplated on trying to make conversation with the rosette beside him.

"So, Sakura-chan, how have you been?"

Slurping what was left of her bowl, she looked up at him with big, green eyes and Naruto could feel himself blushing. "Well, I have been okay. It's just that we have this exam tomorrow and I'm really anxious about it…"

She admitted, feeling pathetic as she watched Naruto's expression change.

Noticing this, Naruto shook it off with a smile. "Sakura, Kakashi-sensei will not let us fail."

"B-But, he said that he doesn't like us…" Naruto laughed.

"So what? We are going to show him tomorrow morning that we can be capable of being ninjas, dattebayo!"

His smile never faltered as she watched him with radiating green forest eyes, taking in every part of his whiskered face. His eyes were perfect, she thought.

He could say the same. Her pale skin and her pink lips, he wanted to…

'_Huh…?_'

Their eyes met, a contrast of colors seeping into one another. Inching in, Naruto's hand caressed her cheek as she leaned into his touch.

As Naruto's lips brushed hers, something crashed behind them. Instinct taking over, Naruto scooped Sakura into his arms and flickered on a rooftop above the alley.

A careful glance later, he noticed that the sound was in fact a cat crashing into some abandoned boxes.

Oblivious about the flustered rosette in his arms, he hooped over from rooftop to rooftop, destination unknown.

"N-Naruto…?" He came to a halt, nearly tripping over the edge of a rooftop.

Being dazed no longer, he realized that the warm feeling against his chest was a person. The person was… his pink haired… teammate.

Putting her down, he nervously scratched the nape of his neck in embarrassment, laughing all the while.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura was quite mad. That's how it looked to Naruto, though.

"Why d-did you do that!" Her shout shook him even harder.

"I-I thought… never mind." He sighed, blue eyes darkening. Sakura noticed this but thought of dropping the point. She knows what happened that last time he saved her…

Deciding to finally thank him after all this time she leaned in, hugging his whole frame.

"N-Naruto… I never thanked you…" The shadow left Naruto's gaze and his eyes widened, feeling her petite body against his. He took in the fact that he was a tad taller than her.

"It was nothing, Sakura-chan! You know me, ttebayo!" His fake tone didn't convince Sakura, her tears dampening his jacket as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Baka! Baka! You could have died! Who knows what would have happened if Hokage-sama didn't show up!" Shaking his head, he sighed. He will forever be grateful to Hokage-jiji.

"But I didn't…"

"But you could! I-I saw…" He brought her closer to his chest, lifting her up. The sun was nowhere to be found and midnight's colors seeped through what was left of its orange hues.

"Everything is okay, Sakura-chan. I'll just take you home!" Sparing a glance at her, she already fell asleep.

"_I will always be your sun, Sakura-chan. Just like you are mine…"_

Breathing a sigh out of relief he swiftly stepped on another rooftop, careful not to wake her up. He couldn't bring himself to stop watching her sleeping form from time to time.

Once they neared her house, Naruto checked for any lights. There was none and Naruto guessed it right. Sakura never stayed behind whenever class ended if her parents were not at home.

Luckily for him, Sakura's room windows have been left open. A quick dash later he was inside her room, putting the sleeping rosette under her pink covers, tucking her whole form under them.

Blue eyes gazing around, it seemed like Sakura's favorite color was pink after all. _To think she hated her hair back then_, he thought.

Letting a silent chuckle out, his eyes rested on a photo. The photo was taken a few years ago and… he was in it.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He thought that… that…

It was that day when he saw her being bullied by those kids in the park. He was alone, sitting on a tree branch when his big, azure eyes spotted that mop of pink hair. He thought she was cute, cuter than anyone he has ever seen before.

Trying to regain his footing after jumping down, some kids approached that pink haired girl.

Were they her friends? He did not know. Naruto hadn't had any friends at all until he met her and that too was short lived, until yesterday.

Taking a closer look at the scene before him, he saw that one girl, older than him by a year or two inched towards Sakura, grabbing her bubblegum pink hair.

"Look at this freak and her hair!" The others around her laughed and watched as the girl said nothing. Her cheeks were stained with tears that freely flowed from her green forest eyes.

Naruto couldn't believe what he heard. Her hair is beautiful! What is wrong with these people? He could take their hatred for him but this girl? This girl was too fragile to take any of that.

Making his resolve, he jumped out of the bush he was sitting behind and confronted the bullies.

"You leave her alone, now!" A brown haired girl lazily glided her eyes across the clearing and saw Naruto. She started speaking.

"Oh Sakura, look who's stepping up for you! The most hated kid of this village!" His face scrunched up in irritation, being the six years old he was Naruto wondered why everyone hated him with a passion. Sure, he started pulling pranks everywhere but he only did so they could acknowledge him in any way. It did not matter that they hated him even more for that, he just wanted to know that he exists.

"Shut up!" They all laughed.

"Or else?"

His eyes turned slit and blood red, every trace of blue gone. His whiskers accentuated, darkening in the process. Completely oblivious to his sudden changes he stood there, demonic eyes staring into frightened ones.

'_**Huh…?**_'

Every kid around him started screaming and yelling. Soon enough, there were civilians and shinobi alike at the scene.

His chakra erupted the moment they provoked him, a dark presence looming over this part of Konoha. Ninjas nearby rushed, not fond of seeing the demon child finally breaking. Some, older than the others sighed. They could not do anything for this child. It was not his fault for everything he is blamed for.

As the Konoha ninjas inched in, Naruto's features return to normal. One plunged a knife deep in his shoulder, while another hit him straight in the chest.

They soon started beating him. He was impaled, cut, poisoned and emotionally destroyed. Getting used to this treatment was one thing but to actually go to such extent…

Luckily for the almost-dead young blonde, a squad of ANBU Black Ops was passing by when they sensed the sudden spike of evil chakra. Their squad leader, Inu, whose mask depicted a dog, silver hair defying every norm of gravity's eyes glued to the scene.

His blood ran cold.

How could they do this…?

Why?

Inu was about to flicker in front of the crowd when a large hand over his shoulder stopped him, figure shaking his head. They had a mission to complete.

Sighing, he gave up yet the turmoil he felt never went away. Surely, the Hokage was on his way.

'_They won't even be able to scratch him._ ' He breathed a sigh out of relief and kicked his pace faster, leaving Konoha in a hurry. Oh, how wrong was he.

"You will finally die today, demon." And with that, they left the scene. Naruto's limp form lay there, in a near death state.

'_Demon…?_' The rosette Naruto had saved earlier was hidden where he stood earlier, behind bushes. Her dulled green eyes were dry of tears. She gathered what little courage she still had in her to glance at him and she gasped.

"W-Why…?" She choked in between her sobs, tears freely flowing from her eyes. She thought she could cry no more, she was wrong.

She got up and ran across the clearing, reaching the boy that has saved her a few moments ago.

"Help!" She screamed but no one came.

Green eyes searched his small and battered body for any sign of breathing. His chest was hardly moving at all. Trying to get anything out of him, a kunai, a senbon, anything, she passed out.

A few minutes later an aged man clad in his Hokage robes appeared, eyes heavy with emotion. What he did not expect was a child, a Haruno nonetheless. She was the only heir to the Haruno clan, Sakura.

Sakura was against Naruto, careful not to hurt him anymore. She was breathing.

Hiruzen sighed in relief and a squad of ANBU picked them both up. Hiruzen knew that the Haruno household was empty so he gave them the order to take the young sleeping rosette home.

Looking at Naruto, his heart was shattered in a million pieces. In a swift motion he carefully scooped Naruto into his arms and shunshined to the hospital.

"N-Naruto…" He snapped out of his daze, eyes widening in shock.

"I'm here, I'll always be. Even if you can't hear my words right now, I'm here, with you." Stifling a quiet chuckle, he left.

Unknown to him, Sakura heard it all.

Her tears were streaming down on her cheeks as she dreamed of that day again.

Hearing his words made her feel better, though.

And after a few minutes later, she drifted off to sleep with a smile plastered on her face.

* * *

><p>Here it is, the rework. Finally. Fuck sophomore year, mainly because I don't have a clue about what to do.<p>

I've been taking a multitude of exams since I posted that AN and it's been a bit hectic for me, everything. I had to sleep a lot and that shit.

As to why you might be wondering why did I change almost everything:

1. Too childish.

2. Too overpowered.

3. Too much OOC. (Although they're gonna be sometimes OOC so they can fit in the plot.)

4. I had no idea in which direction should I take the story from then.

I'd like to hear your opinions on this one, what should I change, what should I keep etcetera

I don't want to hear any spamming nor flaming, go back to your hole if you intend on doing so. I've put a lot of time into thinking everything about this story. By doing that it means that this and I don't mean anything, my work being a substitute for whatever you might feel the need to laugh at. Seriously.

(If you want more insight on what I want to do with this story, I'll message you back after I arrive home from school and tell you **almost** everything you want to know.)

So, I'll update every one or two weeks. Depends on how lazy I am, really.

Thank you for taking your time reading,

Ja Ne!


	2. Chapter II

Sleeping was never an easy feat for Naruto. Not since his third birthday. Whenever the Kyūbi festival approached, bruises and burn marks adorned his tanned skin. Being a sore eye in the crowd, drunkards easily spotted him due to his bright yellow hair similar to their late Yondaime. It was a shame, really. They never seem to notice the most obvious things.

Naruto's eyes were set on the sun, its hue casting an orange look throughout the village.

Lifting himself up from the meditative stance he was currently sat in, Naruto trudged towards the door and once outside, a sudden burst of speed almost teleported him to their designated training ground for the survival test.

Knuckles cracked, a shadow clone materialized and instantly blocked his fast-approaching punch. The intensity behind his agile hook almost made the clone to lose his ground. As Naruto tried to seize the opportunity, so did the clone. They switched positions in a flash; one wrong move would determine the winner of this spar.

Glaring at his clone, Naruto's attack took it under surprise and exploded in a burst of smoke. Satisfied with himself, Naruto grinned and dusted himself off.

'_I should try this move more often._'

'_**That is after your overall speed increases.**_'

A sigh was all Kyūbi needed to know that he did not care or that Naruto already knew that. Not bothering to come up with a come-back, the gigantic fox returned to its peaceful slumber.

"Kakashi-sensei!" To the left, sitting on a tree and above a branch.

In a gust of wind, their jōnin instructor appeared in front of him.

"Naruto, it is only four in the morning and I told you to come here exactly one hour later." Kakashi's expression of boredom could fool but Naruto saw through it, he was surprised.

"Nah; can't sleep sensei."

"Oh?"

"It's just, I can't. Y'know?"

"Care to elaborate?" And they set themselves down against the posts.

"I have been having a lot of nightmares. They are somewhat strange and yet they grew on me. Don't get me wrong, sensei. I am not sad neither depressed. I'd rather fake my mood than have them deal with the real me."

Kakashi motioned for him to continue. "And why is that?"

Darkened eyes turned to stare at the silver haired man. "There is no point in showing you who I actually am. Not now, at least. You already know the real me, Sakura kinda does as well. As for Sasuke… no, he is a ways off and he cannot be fixed. He needs time."

His sensei shot him a lazy grin and signaled Naruto to stand up. "Minato-sensei would be proud of you, Naruto. Anyway, I gotta go. Meet us here in an hour." All being said, Kakashi flickered out of the clearing leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto's smile rivaled the sun's brightness and set off, he had one hour left and he doubted Sakura was awake. Sasuke was probably going through one of his clan's traditional stances. Chuckling to himself, he left.

Nearing onto their graves, his smile tended to crumble any moment. The talk with Kakashi earlier helped him a lot but did not prepare him for the emotional pain he was facing right now.

Reaching his hands out to touch their names, he felt his senses overflow. Tears freely fell from his watered eyes and he broke down.

Thinking about what-ifs, he suddenly felt two hands touching his shoulders. Naruto shook, shock written all over his face. He turned back and found nothing but the rising sun behind him.

'_I see now…_'

Lips curled up, now fully developed into a grin. He lifted himself up.

"I promise to bring flowers next time, kaa-chan, tou-chan. Ja Ne." And with that, he flashed away.

* * *

><p>Nearing the training field, he spotted his teammates. Sakura was supporting herself against the bark of a tree while Sasuke sat into a meditative pose, waiting for their sensei and teammate to come.<p>

With a grin, he entered the clearing.

"Good morning!"

His teammates each greeted him in their ways, widened at the fact that they could not sense him. Naruto's chakra was so dense and vast that you could sense it from afar. To think that he is able to conceal his chakra that well… on what level is he, actually?

Sasuke's fists were balled. He was mad; seething. How could this no-name, good for nothing idiot turn out to be something else?

Calming himself, Sasuke delved into meditation again, the world around him dispersing as he closed his onyx eyes. He took a deep breath, two deep breaths and…

"Yo!"

The leaves around the new figure vanished along with the smoke revealing their sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

"So you finally decided to give us some thought…" Naruto muttered under his breath, shaking his head at his old protector.

The silver-haired jōnin had been sitting next to them for one too many hours and no one sensed it. He was quite surprised by Naruto's display. He did not flinch nor blink as he entered the clearing. Just how much was it to this child…?

Giving up his train of thought, Kakashi coughed and began.

"You have a test to take, genin." He made sure to sound over-dramatic, "The rules are simple; you have to snatch these bells from me until the timer runs out and you must come at me with the intent to kill. If you do not do so, give up right now."

Kakashi saw their determined faces as he spoke and smiled. Maybe they weren't so bad after all…

"Ready, sensei?" The faint smirk behind his mask was all Naruto needed to lunge forward. Before he could get half-way across the clearing the feeling of cold metal against the skin of his neck immediately stopped his advance.

"But I did not even say start N-" It seemed that the one Kakashi caught was just a clone. Playing the game, he intentionally left his back opened for Naruto to eventually come out of his hiding place and it worked.

Naruto slashed Kakashi's back with his kunai, blood oozing out of his body. Sakura could only scream in shock while Sasuke gathered chakra around him and shouted "KAI!".

When the scenery didn't change and Kakashi hit the ground with the thud he was shocked. For the first time in years, the last Uchiha was trembling as he saw his sensei on the brink of death by the hands of their teammate.

"Not so fast." His sensei's voice chilled him to the core, thus waking Sasuke up. He blinked twice and finally opened his eyes. What he saw next was quite amusing if it weren't for their predicament.

Naruto was on the ground with Kakashi in his tow, reading a green book. He looked slightly battered and his features screamed of anger.

"Let me go!" He shouted but to no avail, Kakashi flipping another page.

"Did you say something…?" That did it. Sasuke knew that the dobe could probably get out of there with some thinking on his part and grabbing a stunned rosette, he led her into the forest to devise a plan.

Kakashi took note of this and his lips thinned, the edges slightly curled up. Sasuke might have found out the true reason of this test but he was not sure of it yet. Shrugging, he flipped to another page.

"So, when are you going to meet them?" The bored yet alert tone shook Naruto awake.

"What do you mean, sensei? I'm stuck here."

"Is that so…?" Quickly stabbing a kunai in his back, with a yelp 'Naruto' exploded into smoke.

'_I was right… where could he be, then?_'

* * *

><p>The forest was filled with different plants, bushes and flowers. A shortage of animals could indicate that this was no ordinary forest and in fact, it was not a forest by any means. This area is a special territory, only accessible to the Shinobi corps of the village. The training ground three was one of the most important places in Konoha because of the monument in the memory of the fallen shinobi that gave their lives in order to protect Konohagakure no Sato and the Will of Fire.<p>

Some thought it was a joke while for others it was a living style. To have the desire to protect the future and ensure that no danger was ever present around the dear ones, one could not disagree that he indeed had the Will of Fire inside him.

And that was the case of Uzumaki Naruto. Even with every ounce of hatred that is redirected towards him, every beating that he has suffered he still continues to love this village. Needless to say, he was not one to betray. Especially the ones who were close to him.

He felt as if someone stabbed him in the back. He had to lean against the bark of the tree to calm down. The memory felt like a living experience and to some extent, it was.

Back on his feet, Naruto sensed his teammates nearby and in a flicker, he was gone.

"Sasuke… what are we going to do now? Kakashi has Naruto trapped and without him we have no chance to attack him at all…" Sakura trailed off, knowing not to anger her dark haired teammate further.

He sighed, knowing that Sakura's statement was true. They were almost nothing without Naruto as his enormous amount of chakra and the stamina he had would immensely help them. He had to think of a plan and fast.

They could try to save Naruto from their sensei but… the plan had the biggest chance to backfire. They were genin trapped against a full-fledged jōnin, a war hero at that.

Sasuke had it in him to engage Kakashi on a one on one situation but the small voice in the back of his mind told him to not even think of it.

His head was racking back and forth and after a few seconds of debating, the only chance they had was to surrender. They could not try to fight Kakashi and come out victorious.

Just when Sasuke wanted to mention it to the scared rosette, a flash of orange and black came out of nowhere.

"Sorry guys it took me so long but I had to place traps around the clearing." Scratching the back of his head, Naruto shot them a grin.

Sasuke was having a hard time containing what just happened. Out of nowhere, Naruto barged in. This helped a lot. In fact, they actually had a chance.

A tiny voice shook them once again,

"I am so glad you are alright…" Sakura hung to Naruto as if her very life depended on it. This was strange to him considering that the two ignored each-other almost the entire time during the academy.

"Did you really think I would lose so easily, dattebayo?" Earning a small fit of laughter from Sakura, Naruto allowed his lips to form a small yet genuine smile.

Their dark haired teammate noticed that it was similar he was given a few years back then, when his family was murdered by his brother…

Sighing, he decided that the display in front of him was enough.

"We have to plan." Naruto gave him an irritated look while Sakura scurried between them in case a fight would take place.

Seeing this, he gave up and nodded to Sasuke.

The rosette let out a small breathe in relief, concentrating on the task at hand.

"Alright, so I took my time to place traps around the clearing. During this time Kakashi was just having fun with my clone. He knew I was not the real one but instead of dispelling it, he decided to toy with you. I will say this once, do not let him fool you, by any means."

"I agree. I suggest that you keep him busy with you clones while we make our way through the clearing-" Sasuke was interrupted by the blonde, a look of disapproval clearly showing on his face.

"It won't work, teme. Kakashi-sensei might look like a slacker but he is a war veteran. Mere tactics like that won't even faze him."

Sakura then decided to throw in her two cents. "What if, Sasuke kept him busy with his fire techniques while you made sure you could fight with him? I can cast a genjutsu across the clearing but that will not work until his concentration is broken."

"To do that… we will have to somehow interrupt the way he is so focused. He used to look at me once in a while as I was placing traps. I have a guess that he is not aware of the traps but his stare was… petrifying."

Standing up, Sasuke nodded. "To break his defense, we will need to attack him head-on. That way he will be forced to stay on the run and with a bit of luck, he might get caught into the traps that you have placed earlier, giving Sakura the opportunity to ensnare Kakashi-sensei into an illusion."

"Brilliant Sakura, Sasuke! Let's do it." The determined faces on his teammates' faces told him they will not fail.

And with that, they left their spot with one objective in mind clear; to catch the bells.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was bored out of his mind. He had read this book three times already since he woke up. The expression he wore gave a feeling of laziness settled around him. To think that was either foolishness or the enemy was simply too cocky. His muscles were tense and his senses were focused.<p>

Feeling three chakra signatures behind him, he waited enough until a blonde figure jumped in the clearing, aiming for his back.

As Naruto dashed and slashed, Kakashi kept parrying knowing that Sasuke was around and he could not afford to waste the logs he had strategically placed around the forest.

To say he was pleased with the way Naruto fought was an understatement. He felt pride and a tinge of sadness at the display he was currently dancing against, the blonde in front of him so similar to his late teacher, the Yondaime Hokage. Shaking his head, he concentrated on the fight but it was too late.

The trap Naruto placed behind them was specifically designed for the prey to either force a risky escape or just give up. The seasoned jōnin took no chances, a fire ball furiously approaching towards him at blinding speeds.

Kakashi switched at the last moment with the nearest log while Naruto replaced himself with a clone. Meanwhile, Sakura was following their sensei's movements. Focusing, she concentrated her chakra and directed it towards him, as the wound Naruto gave him earlier placed him in a very sticky situation.

The illusion was simple yet effective, it trapped the conscious, making him believe that the genin fell back to recover from their sudden attack.

Sakura's smile was all Naruto and Sasuke needed to see. They rushed to Kakashi and they found him nestled against a tree, tightly clutching at his wound.

Not giving him time to make the required hand signs to escape, Sasuke used the momentum to lift his leg up in the air and slam it down Kakashi's wounded shoulder. The silver haired jōnin managed to avoid the hit but Naruto mercilessly threw his footing off balance. Managing to get a hit in, Kakashi knew it was time to get serious, seeing as his genin team was being able to keep up with him.

Dropping a smoke bomb on the ground, he escaped the area with ease. Kakashi reached the stumps where the clock was placed and looked at the time. Smiling, the timer went off.

* * *

><p>Three demoralized genin walked towards him. He almost felt bad for them, the number they pulled on him left him speechless. The way they coordinated themselves while guarding their pink haired teammate from a distance amazed Kakashi.<p>

He knew that if this was a real-life situation, the three of them would be dead in a blink of an eye. But this was just a test and Kakashi also knew that this team will pass with flying colors. He could mold them into the shinobi they can be.

As they neared onto the stumps, Naruto sat down against one stump while Sasuke seated himself on the ground. Sakura decided that sitting on the stump near Naruto's would do.

The silence between the four of them was broken by Kakashi's voice.

"You failed…" the trio tried to school their features but it was impossible, they gave everything they had and "…to snatch the bells from me. But, you fought well. Managing to catch me off-guard and even place me into a genjutsu is very hard."

They knew he was not boasting. He was the embodiment of what a true shinobi should be. Not giving anything to the outside and always on guard, this was how a high-caliber ninja should act like.

Frankly, he was one as well.

The praise that Kakashi gave them lifted their spirits. It was Naruto who voiced everyone else besides Kakashi's thoughts. "But at least we tried, right? We can always try next time…"

Sakura moved out of her place towards Naruto and lifted her hands up. "Yeah… and, we managed to get a bell from you, sensei." Her meek voice made Kakashi take a second glance at what she was holding in her hands.

Sasuke nodded, clearly unsatisfied with the fact that they lost. Yet, he knew that the fight they put up against their sensei was no small feat so he contended himself with that.

"Sakura-chan…" He sighed, eyes widening as she placed herself against him, as if she searched support.

'_Maybe she does…_'

Kakashi was stunned. They actually managed to get one bell. Looking at the bells, he noticed that where the second bell was, a small rock morphed out of it.

"In this case… Team seven, you pass!" The sight in front of him is something he will never forget until his last breath. "Not that I was not going to pass you anyway, the display of prowess you three showed while being fresh out of the academy is astonishing."

Naruto jumped to his feet, laughing and shouting all the while. Sakura let out a small laugh as she embraced Naruto while Sasuke seemed pleased with himself, as much as he allowed a small smile to tug at his lips.

Kakashi's heart warmed, maybe he found what the Sandaime told him to look for all these years ago.

"Starting from tomorrow, we will be doing missions. Our training will start here, at six am every day of the week. The only day you will be free from any activity of sorts will be Sunday, with the occasional twist of having the week-end to yourselves except if a mission comes up." Seeing as they nodded, he continued "I'm quite content with teaching you three."

Looking at the sun, he ended his speech. "I have to file a report for the Hokage. See you here at six and a half am tomorrow straight."

With that, he flickered out of the training grounds.

It was Naruto's voice after several moments of silence that broke the impending tension.

"I can't believe we did it!"

"Me neither… it's amazing!"

Sasuke's tone was a bit more reserved but nonetheless he agreed. "Yes, it was quite interesting."

"Oi, ease up a bit would ya bastard?"

"Well I could but your voice makes me cringe, so we are even."

"Bastard."

"Idiot."

The small bickering in front of her made Sakura smile. This… this was her family starting from tomorrow and she would do everything necessary to keep them this way.

"So teme, Sakura, do you wanna grab something to eat? We could get some Ichiraku…" This was an opportunity to get to know each-other and they knew why Naruto had suggested it.

Seeing no point in refusing, they nodded and took off into the village.

* * *

><p>Reaching the place, the trio was seated against the stool. They chit-chatted while the food was being prepared.<p>

"So, don't tell me you actually like tomatoes but hate sweets?" Naruto's voice was one of concern for his black haired teammate. He questioned his sanity…

"Do you have a problem with that? Because I don't see myself against your unhealthy obsession for ramen." Sasuke fired back and they both knew it was a draw.

Sighing, Sakura nodded. "Sasuke is right, Naruto. You should get some vegetables into your diet as well."

The blonde's features were one of betrayal and shock as he dramatically fell out of his seats, succumbing to the darkness of the shadow the chair sprouted. "Not you too, Sakura-chan…"

"Get over it, baka! I will be making sure that you will be eating healthy from now on." The look on her face told Naruto she was not joking.

"Ah well, worry not gods of ramen, I will betray you not!" His speech was oversaturated with drama which caused his teammates to roll their eyes.

As the food was placed in front of them, they started to ate, well… Sasuke and Sakura did while Naruto dived straight in.

"Have some manners, will you Naruto?" The rosette shook her head at his display.

"Did you say something, Sakura-chan?" Sighing, she gave up.

"Nothing… just stop talking while eating." He nodded and finished his bowl.

They each bid their good-byes after finishing eating and left the ramen bar. The three were content with the events today and to some extent, they all agreed that they were a family. At least from today, they were.

* * *

><p>The evening brought a blue hue over the orange sky, signaling the sundown. Naruto paid no mind to it as he sat on top of the Yondaime's head. This place was his place. No one ever bothered to look for him and not many were able to find him here even if they wanted.<p>

Sensing somebody behind him, he schooled his surprised features, a casual look taking place.

He instantly knew who the person was as soon as he saw the pink hair shining in the setting sun's colours. The way her emerald eyes were watching him ensnared Naruto into some kind of trance as he could not take his eyes off of her. The strange feeling they both felt for each-other surfaced yet again.

He was dazed and he knew that unwillingly, Sakura trapped him into a spell.

Thankfully, she broke him out of it sooner than he thought she would.

"Hi…" She blushed, he was staring her with bright blue eyes. The intensity behind his stare almost made her knees go weak. She wanted to go there and embrace him, seeing the pain he was going through.

But she knew he was strong. He would always be.

And even if she did not need a knight to save her, the boy in front of her was the knight she could ever hope for.

So instead of embracing the pain they both shared, she decided that leaning against each-other while looking at the sunset would do.

The smile they shared was something they would take with them in the afterlife.

"Hey to you to..."

"Mind if I sit next to you?"

"No… why would I mind, Sakura-chan?"

"Well…" Placing his hands onto hers, Naruto shook every doubt her heart held.

"Idiot…"

"But I'm your idiot, right?"

"That you are… that you are…"

And they laughed and smiled, paying no mind to the moon and the peaceful night.

This was the beginning of their adventure and they doubted it would end soon. For now, she leans into him and loves every moment she is spending with him.

As she fell asleep, he cradled her head into his lap, stroking her pink hair while she woke up once in a while to caress his whiskered cheeks. By the time the moon shone above them, he teleported them both at his apartment, knowing that her parents were most likely to not be home. Placing her onto his bed, he tucked her in and left for the couch, sleep taking over him he plopped into it.

The future is bright, they both thought before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Fin<p>

Wow, writing in one go seems so easy and yet so hard. Thank you for reading. It means a lot to me, even if I might not show it.

I am disappointed about a thing, though. And that thing is the ending of Naruto.

It might not be Kishimoto's fault for all we know. The studio gathered power over the series in the last years. Unlike Kishimoto (even though he is not being excused) they used the series to milk everything they could.

The influence the west had on Naruto did not help at all, considering their wishes became true. I mean no ill now, for I don't care anymore. You might call me butt hurt and ignorant because I don't agree with the pairings but it's the truth. Even those who supported NH and SS from the beginning feel that this was not right.

And damn right it was not!

We waited for so long, every moment Kishimoto wrote and draw into the manga gone to waste. Countless hours of contemplating and drawing for nothing. I'm disappointed, really disappointed.

What could have been… there are so many NaruSaku fan fictions continuing where the manga ended and from what I've read, each one of them are great. They replicate the manga to so some extent and they give you the feeling that what you are reading is not fiction but instead, a depiction of the canon setting.

In conclusion, I feel bad for how things ended up. But we are a strong community and the way we accepted the fact that we are not canon cannot be done by their fandoms!

We are not weak and we will not give up! Our pairing will always be canon, no matter what they say. So, I ask every and each one of you to not give up and continue to hold the love we have shared for this series and pairing altogether from now on!

I might sound childish but I couldn't care less. I will not give up.

And you, the reader, will better not either!

Once again, I want to thank you for taking your time reading.


	3. Chapter III

"_You like looking at the stars, don't you?"_ _The warmth both felt at the moment was incredible. To think they would be this close to each-other… _

"_Hmm?" Lazily opening an eye, Sakura questioned him._

"_These stars…"_

"_What about them, Naruto?"_

"_I don't know… It's quite confusing. Looking at them, you know? The way they flicker and… they are beautiful…" His eyes glimmered as he spoke, the intensity between his words made her heart flutter._

"_I get it… I feel the same. They sure are interesting, right?"_

"_That they are, Sakura-chan. That they are." Smiling, Naruto brought the rosette against his chest. She cradled onto his lap and relaxed against the nape of his neck. The way he breathed into her hair made her shiver._

_This was the beginning of something new, she thought. Yes, something new. _

_Smiling she snuggled closer against him and enjoyed the view for the rest of the evening._

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up, the covers masking her happy face. Something, no, someone woke her up, unintentionally and she had a hunch whoever that someone might be.<p>

Taking in her surrounding, she noticed that the window was open. Focusing, Sakura saw dawn breaking outside, its colors adorning the nightly sky.

Getting up, she gingerly walked on her tiptoes looking for a bathroom. Before she could enter she saw Naruto shirtless, cooking. It smelled of bacon and eggs. The rosette was surprised, since when did he eat other things than ramen?

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" His cheerful voice startled her.

"'Morning to you too, Naruto… what time is it?" Looking at the watch on the wall, he turned around.

"A bit over four am. I already took a shower so the water is hot, really, really hot. So if you want to take a shower…" The way he emphasized on the word _hot_ made her laugh and fume at the same time. What was he implying, actually?

"Naruto…" Shit.

"What?! I was not saying anything!"

"Is that so…?"

"Uh-huh… if you need anything don't hesitate to call me. There's a spare towel on the hanger near the shower cabin so you don't have to worry."

Nodding, she thanked him and he sent her off. It seems that they started the morning well.

The notorious blonde haired prankster turned back to his cooking silently praying that nothing was burned.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Sakura wrapped a towel around her petite body. Her pink wet hair was held in a ponytail as she did not want her bangs to cover her eyes.<p>

Before stepping out of the shower, she starts to think of Naruto's life. Theirs were similar, seeing as her parents were gone almost every month and even then, they would not be at home. The thought made her wince, suddenly remembering why she was at Naruto's apartment instead of her house. She wondered how he coped with everything. She really did. She still remembers that dreaded day and she still blames herself for it. But with time… a determined look adorned her pretty face, bright emerald eyes staring at his bare back.

The rosette knew they had more than two hours to play around so with the objective to make this morning one of the best Naruto had, she tiptoed until she was near him, careful to not give her position away. She could barely contain her giggles as Naruto kept on rambling how ramen would be a better choice instead of bacon and eggs.

Nearing onto him, she threw her arms around her blonde haired teammate… she caught nothing but air and she was falling!

Sakura knew the moment she will open her eyes she will see the cold floor waiting for her face to smash against it but the contact never came. Instead, her face hit something muscular… It was his chest!

The towel that seemed to be securely tied around her small frame was about to fall and… Naruto teleported her as fast as he could into his room while flashing as soon as she opened her eyes. She was blushing madly and she felt as if her knees will go weak any time now!

'_That was so stupid!_' She face palmed. A playful joke meant to lighten up the mood ruined the entire morning. Sakura sighed and let her body fall onto his bed. The way it smelt made her feel safe. His scent gave her a sense of protection so she scooted closer.

Snapping out of her daze, she hurriedly searched for some clothes to wear.

Meanwhile, Naruto's breathing was anything but steady. He looked as if he fought an entire battalion. He shook his head, this was not right. He thought of letting her having the moment but childishly, the young blonde just had to do that. Not to mention that the technique was quite exhausting. He felt as if he was about to die. Managing to teleport two people to two different locations in less than a second even though he had no mastery over it was stupid.

Running a hand through his wild blond hair, he sensed someone near.

It was Sasuke, their third teammate. '_What?_'

As Sasuke neared onto the door, seemingly bent on opening it, Naruto appeared next to him, his hand stopping Sasuke's from going in.

"What the hell are you doing outside?" And it began.

"What the hell are you doing here at this time?"

They nodded to each-other. Naruto and Sasuke had to admit, both brought their arguments and funnily enough, both were right.

After an impending silence, Naruto was the first one to speak "Whatever… Just don't go in."

Sasuke raised a questioning brow at this and replied. "And why wouldn't I enter? It's five in the morning for fuck sakes and you're holding us outside."

"It's none of your business, teme!"

"Dobe…" Before a fight could break between the two of them, the door to Naruto's apartment opened, revealing a flustered Sakura clad in Naruto's clothes.

"Stop, the both of you…"

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto breathed out. She looked cute, with the way his oversized shirt hung on one shoulder and the way her hair was held into a ponytail that reached the end of her back.

"Hn." As for Sasuke, he couldn't care less. The onyx eyed genin was grateful that Sakura was not a fan girl but he wondered why she was in the early hours of the morning at Naruto's place, wearing his clothes.

"So…" Before Sasuke could continue, Sakura dragged them both into the apartment.

Her voice beamed throughout the house. "What the hell are you doing outside this early, yelling at each-other? People are sleeping!"

Since when did she act like this?

"We have to leave in less than an hour. I suggest you keep your bickering down while we are eating." Seeing as they both nodded, she smiled and motioned towards the small kitchen.

Naruto took the sofa while Sasuke and she ate at the table. There was nothing to be said as they kept on eating.

Sakura broke the ice by asking Sasuke a question that lingered in her mind since he arrived. "Why did you come?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He smirked, causing Sakura to blush.

"Well…"

Before she could continue, Naruto entered their conversation. "Why'd you care, Sasuke? You never visited me so she has a point. Besides, the reason why she is here concerns you not."

"Is that so…?" Sasuke exaggerated his dramatic tone, "I thought that a little bonding time-"

He was interrupted by Naruto, "Wow! Hold the fuck on. I'm not homosexual Sasuke, as good-looking as you are, I don't swing that way but I'm sure you'll find someone and…"

Sakura broke into a fit of laughter. This was too much for her. Soon enough, their teammates started snickering. Even Sasuke and that surprised her!

"Just as you found… her?" Sasuke's tone held another meaning underneath the simple question.

It seemed that this morning was blessed, for Sasuke to actually join their bickering and even laugh.

"As much as I'd like to chat the whole morning with you two, we have to go..." The rosette in their team was right. With a nod, the three of them walked on the streets of Konoha towards their first mission.

* * *

><p>The field was empty, just as they expected it to be. Kakashi specifically told them to not be late and he was nowhere to be seen. The three of them plopped themselves against the stumps of the training ground three. Naruto and Sasuke meditated while Sakura read a medical book she managed to get from the library. With the rank of genin, one would gain rights to enter the library.<p>

One hour had passed and Kakashi did not arrive but they were content. Meditating helped both Naruto respectively Sasuke. Most nights were sleepless for those two and they couldn't afford to fall prone to fatigue.

But Sakura was bored. She finished the book and there was nothing she could do. The rosette couldn't break their concentration. She had a feeling that they needed their time alone and she was more than happy to oblige.

Stretching, she lifted herself from the ground and stifled a yawn. Sakura decided to look around, inspect the training ground. After several minutes of walking, Sakura found the river that was connected throughout every training ground outside the village. From what she read during her time in the academy, it came all the way from the Valley of the End, the place where the very first founders of Konoha fought for their ideals. Needless to say, Senju Hashirama had won. He killed his first friend and rival, Uchiha Madara, head of the Uchiha clan at that time.

The fight was grueling and it is supposed that the fight took more than an entire day and night. The damage the land sustained is what made a dense forest a valley.

Looking around, she thought she heard a yelp followed by a cry. Carefully walking towards the source of the cry, she noticed a small bird. From what she could see, the bird was wounded. She approached it with ease trying not to scare it more than it probably was.

The sight shook her and the sensible rosette looked as if she was about to tear up. The bird was on the verge of dying and she doubted that the aerie was nearby. The bird looked young, about three or so months. Mustering up the courage, Sakura neared onto the poor bird and remembered what the medical book instructed.

_Concentrate your chakra and put your hands above the patient. This technique requires great mastery over chakra control and should not be used without any guidance._

Wiping her tears off, Sakura put her hands above the dying bird and concentrated her chakra. '_It's just like the transformation technique, come on…_'

It took an about a minute for a green pale haze to cover her shaking hands and without any hesitance, she focused the chakra into the bird. She felt strange, as if she could feel everything inside the bird. Concentrating on the internal wound, she put every bit of chakra she had into the wound. A few minutes have passed and the bird was no longer crying; its pleas to die had ceased.

Sakura tried to run a check-up, voicing every word she read into the book about the requirements of a successful healing. She did not know for how long she held her breath. A tiny smile tugged at her lips. The rosette had done it.

Cautiously nestling the bird into her small and soft hands, she stood up and turned back to where her team was.

The stumps came into view and she saw Naruto casually sitting under the shade of a tree while Sasuke continued to meditate. Nearing onto her blonde haired teammate, his eyes went through a flux of emotions, from confusion to bewilderment and affectionate.

"Look, Naruto!"

"Hmm?"

"I healed this small bird! I decided to wander in the forest and I found it wounded and remembering a few captions out of a book I was reading while you and Sasuke were meditating, I managed to heal it and the bird is now healthy!" The cheerful voice she spoke with melted Naruto's heart for he will never forget this moment.

Careful not to crush the small bird, he brought the beaming rosette into a loving embrace. The way he held her made her feel safe and as she looked up to face him, she lost herself into his sapphire eyes.

"Well done, Sakura-chan…" His whisper seemed ethereal. He managed to break her out of his spell as she held the bird in their hands.

Everything seemed so perfect…

"Yo!"

The voice of the newcomer startled them including Sasuke. He was caught up in his meditation that he almost forgot where he was.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Sakura broke apart, flustered. Sakura hid behind her blonde haired friend, clutching the bird close to her chest.

"I know that we were supposed to take our first mission as a team today but due to a request of mine, the Hokage granted some time to train. We will still take D ranked missions across the village but for most of the time we'll work on enhancing your forte points and improving your weakness. Understood?" The lazy tone Kakashi held made it seem as if this will be easy. Oh, how wrong they are, he thought.

"Hai!"

"Good, I want you to run ten laps across the clearing. Starting in three, two, one… go!" Naruto and Sasuke were gone but Sakura stayed behind.

Seeing this, Kakashi wondered why. Before he could question Sakura, she held her hands in front of him.

"What's this, Sakura-chan?"

"I-I… healed her!" Kakashi's lone eye widened. Healed?

Seeing the expression her sensei wore, she continued "She was about to die when I found her and remembering the principle of the mystical palm technique, I healed this small bird! I even did a check-up to see if there's any internal damage left too…" The silver haired jōnin was shocked. Did this genin… use an advanced technique which requires a vast amount of control over chakra?

"Good job, Sakura-chan. I will get you some more medical books for you to read."

"Thank you, sensei!"

"But… before you'll join your teammates, do you want to be a medic-nin?" The question hit Sakura head-on. She knew the consequences; stay behind, heal.

"I already made my choice when I joined the academy, sensei. I will train hard so I can surpass Tsunade-sama! My answer is yes." Nodding Kakashi eye-smiled and sent her off, pondering on what to do with his team. The ex-ANBU knew that this team would eventually become like his but not so soon. What amazed him furthermore was the fact that Sakura grasped the principles of a medic nin with no guidance whatsoever. She was talented, that much he knew. Just like her other two teammates.

Naruto, with his speed and cunning; Sasuke with his agility and intelligence.

He vowed that this team won't end like his and he is going to try his best to keep his promise.

* * *

><p>Wow, two chapters in two days! I apologize for the quality of this chapter and its shortness-if that's a word. This chapter concludes the beginning of the story. I think that I've done a good job at trying to explain how things will work around.<p>

From now on, the characters will be more or less OOC. I can't afford to keep them canon and develop this story as I want. They will still retain 70-90% out of their original character, don't worry.

As for Sakura, I wanted her to learn how to heal this early because it will come in handy soon. She can't be left behind, not when Naruto and Sasuke are so far ahead. Yes, she is still weak and can't defend herself but at least she can heal now. Not big wounds like lacerations or even shattered organs but yeah, you get the idea.

I also want to thank you guys for reviewing, favoriting & following and reading this story. I know I am a slacker but I promise that I'll try to update three times a week if I'm not busy. We'll see.

The reviews;

Logan Locke – Thank you for your support! Your reviews keep me motivated, never stop reviewing stories!

The 7th Demon of Razgriz – Thanks! I don't think that this story is that well-written but… who am I to judge? Also, you don't really have to wait that long!

Czar Joseph – Glad to know that you agree with me. The movie was a huge failure and Kishimoto is now trying to justify his actions. Too bad that people aren't stupid, unlike him.

Dark Lord God 88 – Yeah, NaruSaku and SasuKarin are great especially the former. SasuKarin needs a lot of closure though.

Johncahill – Thank you, I've poured all I have into it. Really humbled to know that you are enjoying my story.

IronDRedWolf – There you have it. I don't know if this will match up to your expectations but I've tried my best. Hopefully you'll like it!

And that's a wrap! Expect the update till Sunday morning. I have finals this week and the next one so I won't be able to update.

Once again, thank you for reading!


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